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November 2011

As Republican campaigns move into the final stretch, the pressure inside will dramatically increase. For us at 2008 Obama for America, the temperature clearly shot up as we headed into October. Rising anxiety levels were intensified by the realization that we were just over a dozen weeks from Iowa. We'd staked everything as a campaign on that state and our staff was keenly aware that a loss there might also mean sudden and abrupt unemployment. The reality of the risk that each of us had individually assumed was now staring directly at us. Our staff had endured great hardship, long hours, and in many cases, family angst. What all of us had once excitedly pursued as a dream we realized could potentially become a tragedy.

The migration to the campaign is a testament to the lure and reward of entrepreneurship. It is the uniquely American phenomenon of leaving everything behind to pursue the unimaginable. For many, the journey culminated at Obama for America (OFA) headquarters in Chicago, making it a gathering place for idealists, innovators, and pioneers. While it may be true that the campaign was a magnet for the young who had more to believe in and less to risk, there were some who walked through our doors that had left high-paying jobs at law firms, Wall Street companies, private businesses, and consulting practices. It was inspiring to witness the number of people who came without the promise of a job that were motivated instead by a higher purpose.